At the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas emphasized that the left side of the Penguins' blue line needed to be addressed.
So, heading into the 2025-26 season, it was pretty much open season for anyone who wanted to put a foot down and seize a spot, particularly in the top-four.
And - through seven games - one Penguins' defenseman is making a strong case for himself.
28-year-old Ryan Shea - who re-signed with the Penguins this summer on a one-year, $900,000 contract - has been a bright spot on a competitive Pittsburgh blue line in the earlygoing this season. He leads all Penguins' d-men in points with four points and has, so far, solidifed himself on the Penguins' second pairing alongside Kris Letang, who just registered his 600th career assist - becoming just the 20th defenseman in league history to hit that mark.
Most Penguins' fans and analysts did not peg Shea as a top-four defenseman this season. But he is looking the part through the first six, and a lot of it has to do with his newfound emphasis on shooting the puck and trying to generate more offensively by getting pucks to their forwards at the net front
"Coach [Dan] Muse put an emphasis on [shooting more] going into Anaheim and going into our road trip," Shea said. "And I think - as you can see - a lot of our goals are coming at the net front, battling inside the crease. So, I think his message really hit home with a lot of us."
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While a lot of the uptick in Shea's offense can be attributed to the work he put in during the offseason, a chunk of it can also be explained by some of the small systemic differences that Muse and new defensive coach Mike Stothers - as well as the rest of the staff - has implemented in Pittsburgh. And that includes an active but responsible blue line.
The coaches want defensemen to get invovled in the play. The forward unit is doing their part to make that possible, too, and it has led to some positive early returns regarding the Penguins' attack.
"The system... they allow the 'D' to be more offensive and jump into the play, but I think you have to kind of do it whether you're comfortable or not," Shea said. "Because, [with] our forecheck, the 'D' have to be up in the play. So, I think the more active we are in the rush, in the o-zone, will better equip us for having our gaps to defend the rush or keeping the puck in play.
"I think our forwards are doing a great job, the trust between the forward and 'D' that the 'D' can go down, that they can stay down for a little bit if they want. We just know the forward is always covering. So, having that system in place really helps the 'D' and helps everyone's confidence knowing that, alright, if they chip one by, it doesn't mean it's going to be an odd-man rush because you have someone covering."
Of course, aside from little tweaks here and there to the system that the Penguins are implementing this season, there is also the relationship with the coaching staff and the players. Shea credits the staff - and especially Stothers - with remaining positive through the process, even when mistakes are made.
That positivity has given him come confidence and reassurance that, perhaps, wasn't as prevalent in years past. And it's translating into his results on the ice.
"The number one thing I've noticed is that [Stothers] is a very positive guy, and he puts a lot of trust in you," Shea said. "Like, me and Tanger... we didn't have a great start to that [L.A. Kings] game, and last year, something else might have been different. But, this year, Stotsy, just... he trusts us to put us right back out there and kind of let us earn those back. And I think we ended up playing well the last two periods, and - obviously - we got the win from the game.
"So, it's the little things like that that just puts a lot of trust between the coaches and players, and I love that side of him."
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